Croup is recognized as a swelling in the upper airway of babies and causes irritation. This results in breathing problems and the vocal cords also start to become narrow. It is known to be more common in boys than girls and is a contagious condition.
Here is everything you need to know about it.
Symptoms
It generally starts to develop as cold and is followed by cough and fever. Here are the symptoms that will help you identify if its croup.
Hoarse voice
Noisy and difficult breathing
Swelling in lymph nodes
Redness in eyes
High pitched breathing
Causes
It is an infectious condition and is primarily of two types: viral and spasmodic.
Viral croup affects the larynx and trachea and is caused by parainfluenza. Spasmodic, on the other hand, does not develop gradually and occurs suddenly. The baby may be seen struggling to breathe and is followed by barky coughing. Spasmodic croup does not have fever as one of its symptoms.
Treatment
Croup is an uncomfortable condition to deal with but it can also be treated at home. Here is how you can help the child:
Use humidifier
It makes it easier for the child to breathe as their airways are inflamed. Try to calm your child down as crying can make it difficult for the child to breathe. Humidifiers will help calm the symptoms.
Helps them hydrate
Croup in babies can cause dehydration so its important for them to consume plenty of fluids. It will also help with the mucus and may decrease congestion. You can use a dropper or spoon to do so.
Keep the head elevated
Help your child breathe more comfortably by keeping their head elevated.
Call your doctor if the symptoms become aggressive and the conditions show no signs of improvement. High pitched sound, trouble swallowing and pulling of chest and neck muscles may make your child restless so its best to seek medical assistance in such cases.
